Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary
The median pay for a police and sheriff's patrol officers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is $63,190/year ($30.38/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $64,910 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About police and sheriff's patrol officers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $76K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,686/month, which is 40.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for police and sheriff's patrol officerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in metros near Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $66K | $67K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $61K | $66K |
| Winston-Salem | $57K | $62K |
| Wilmington | $54K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level police and sheriff's patrol officers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $119K | +56% | 65,940 |
| Washington | $102K | +34% | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $101K | +32% | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $99K | +30% | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $97K | +28% | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $93K | +22% | 1,800 |
| New York | $93K | +22% | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +22% | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $89K | +16% | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $88K | +16% | 5,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $85K | +12% | 26,510 |
| Hawaii | $84K | +10% | 2,420 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +9% | 9,160 |
| Connecticut | $82K | +8% | 6,500 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +4% | 17,040 |
| Arizona | $79K | +4% | 12,010 |
| Nevada | $78K | +3% | 5,720 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +2% | 12,320 |
| Maryland | $78K | +2% | 9,720 |
| Utah | $77K | +1% | 5,500 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +1% | 1,940 |
| Ohio | $77K | +1% | 23,430 |
| Texas | $76K | -0% | 63,100 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -2% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $75K | -2% | 1,630 |
| Florida | $74K | -2% | 43,630 |
| Iowa | $74K | -2% | 5,130 |
| Michigan | $74K | -3% | 16,750 |
| Indiana | $73K | -4% | 12,980 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -6% | 2,460 |
| Montana | $70K | -8% | 2,160 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $69K | -10% | 1,020 |
| Maine | $67K | -12% | 2,120 |
| Idaho | $67K | -12% | 2,810 |
| Wyoming | $66K | -13% | 1,310 |
| Virginia | $66K | -14% | 19,970 |
| South Dakota | $61K | -20% | 2,000 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 7,890 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -22% | 9,660 |
| Missouri | $59K | -22% | 13,570 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -22% | 22,370 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -22% | 15,630 |
| Kansas | $59K | -22% | 6,130 |
| Georgia | $58K | -24% | 22,170 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -24% | 12,930 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -25% | 2,900 |
| Alabama | $51K | -33% | 11,710 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -37% | 12,400 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -37% | 5,710 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -39% | 8,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track police and sheriff's patrol officers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a police and sheriff's patrol officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 40.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new police and sheriff's patrol officers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,991/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is police and sheriff's patrol officer a high-paying job in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $63K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $63,190 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,850, and experienced police and sheriff's patrol officers can clear $94,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,164/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 40.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a police and sheriff's patrol officers salary go in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median police and sheriff's patrol officers salary is worth about $64,910 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do police and sheriff's patrol officers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.